Being kind and respectful can improve the health of primary care clinic patients, according to a recent study from the University of British Columbia and Western University.
The study found that if clinic staff introduce inclusive practices, such as warmly greeting patients and being genuinely concerned, it can lead to better health outcomes for marginalized or impoverished patients.
Researchers worked with four primary care clinics — two in B.C. and two in Ontario — that serve large numbers of low-income groups, including Indigenous communities and people with complex health conditions. Each clinic tailored their practices to provide what researchers call "equity-oriented care". A total of 395 patients were interviewed following after receiving care from the clinics.
“We found that participants felt comfortable about the care they received, and this, in turn, gave them more confidence in their ability to prevent and manage health problems,” said Marilyn Ford-Gilboe, a professor in Western’s Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, who co-led the study. “As these things happened, clients started reporting less pain, fewer depression and trauma symptoms, and improved quality of life.”
While the study did show that inclusive care can be linked to better health outcomes, researchers have acknowledged it would require serious commitment from everyone involved to accomplish such a culture shift.
“Clinic staff can be encouraged to take the initiative, even for things as basic as offering water or coffee in the waiting area," said researcher Nadine Wathen, a professor in Western’s Faculty of Information & Media Studies and the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, who also co-led the study. "By creating a culture that allows all staff members to advocate for the poorest and most marginalized individuals, we can start building a stronger health care system that ensures better health for all Canadians.”
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research provided funding for the study, which was recently published in the Milbank Quarterly.